Gavin Williamson

[Shaker]

And right on cue ... https://tinyurl.com/yazz4c36

[Nearly Sane]

And right on cue ... https://tinyurl.com/yazz4c36

So should we kill him?

[Shaker]

No, as he's been tried and sentenced - it's not a war situation over here. Not conventional warfare at any rate.

If it had been, yes we should (and I wish it had been). He had an AK-47 and I assume it wasn't another household ornament to stand next to his Capo Del Monte underneath his painting of an Asian lady with a blue face.

[Owlswing]

We are not in time of war and even in war, you are not allowed to just kill enemy combatants if you have captured them or they have surrendered.

Yes we bloody well are!

OK, it is a war, like that against the I R A, that is referred to as an "undeclared war" but the attacks around the world by militant Islam cannot be described as anything but a war!

What is more it is a war being fought by an enemy that hides behind civilian clothes not having the courage to show their true colours by wearing a uniform

[Nearly Sane]

Yes we bloody well are!

OK, it is a war, like that against the I R A, that is referred to as an "undeclared war" but the attacks around the world by militant Islam cannot be described as anything but a war!

What is more it is a war being fought by an enemy that hides behind civilian clothes not having the courage to show their true colours by wearing a uniform

The Maquis didn't wear uniforms - was that lack of courage? We wouldn't treat IRA prisoners as prisoners of war, so how could it be war?

[Owlswing]

 The Maquis didn't wear uniforms - was that lack of courage? We wouldn't treat IRA prisoners as prisoners of war, so how could it be war?

The I R A always demanded that their men be treated as prisoners of war - this I would suggest confirms that THEY considered they were at war. As the I R A was not a recognised "Army" by either the  government of ther UK or that of Eire resulted in the refusal of P O W status toi I R A prisoners.

[Nearly Sane]

The I R A always demanded that their men be treated as prisoners of war - this I would suggest confirms that THEY considered they were at war. As the I R A was not a recognised "Army" by either the  government of ther UK or that of Eire resulted in the refusal of P O W status toi I R A prisoners.

  Which confirms that we weren't at war which defeats your claim that somehow we were.

[Owlswing]

  Which confirms that we weren't at war which defeats your claim that somehow we were.

In a pig's ear!

Wind-up unsuccessful.

End of communication.

[Nearly Sane]

In a pig's ear!

Wind-up unsuccessful.

End of communication.

Are we at war? No. Was your representation of being at war,  correct?  No. End of sense? Yes.

[Owlswing]

Are we at war? No. Was your representation of being at war,  correct?  No. End of sense? Yes.

I am serously sorry but I find your dismissal of the nature of the attacks on various countries by militant Isalm as not a war, albeit a guerilla war, disturbing, pacifist and, possibly, in the end, downright dangerous.

I don't know what the ethinic/religious make-up of your local population is but around here more than a few walk on egg-shells in order not to upset the muslims who take any perceivesa slight, never mind any real oners, very personally and usually straight to the courts who seem to shit themselves be terrified at the possible consequences of finding for the defendants.

So, on this subject, I am making no further comment as, quite clearly, we need to agree to differ as we are, equally clearly, never going to just agree.

[Nearly Sane]

I am serously sorry but I find your dismissal of the nature of the attacks on various countries by militant Isalm as not a war, albeit a guerilla war, disturbing, pacifist and, possibly, in the end, downright dangerous.

I don't know what the ethinic/religious make-up of your local population is but around here more than a few walk on egg-shells in order not to upset the muslims who take any perceivesa slight, never mind any real oners, very personally and usually straight to the courts who seem to shit themselves be terrified at the possible consequences of finding for the defendants.

So, on this subject, I am making no further comment as, quite clearly, we need to agree to differ as we are, equally clearly, never going to just agree.

so if you indulge in misrepresentation as you have done here, then maybe leaving your take is ok.

[jeremyp]

Yes we bloody well are!

No we are not.

OK, it is a war, like that against the I R A, that is referred to as an "undeclared war" but the attacks around the world by militant Islam cannot be described as anything but a war!

We were not in a war against the IRA. We treated their members as criminals and murderers which is what they were.

To term these people as enemy combatants rather than criminals elevates them to a status to which they are not entitled.

Please don't misunderstand me: if our law enforcement agencies see a terrorist pointing an AK4 at somebody, they are absolutely entitled to shoot him (or her) dead. But we live in a democracy and we decided capital punishment is barbaric and the rule of law generally prevails here. I do not want to see that changed.

[Nearly Sane]

No we are not.
We were not in a war against the IRA. We treated their members as criminals and murderers which is what they were.

To term these people as enemy combatants rather than criminals elevates them to a status to which they are not entitled.

Please don't misunderstand me: if our law enforcement agencies see a terrorist pointing an AK4 at somebody, they are absolutely entitled to shoot him (or her) dead. But we live in a democracy and we decided capital punishment is barbaric and the rule of law generally prevails here. I do not want to see that changed.

and to elevate our combatants to fighting a war would then be hypocrisy

[jeremyp]

and to elevate our combatants to fighting a war would then be hypocrisy

Strange that you should think fighting a war is a more noble cause than fighting crime in a democracy.

I said don't elevate the status of the terrorists, not don't elevate the status of the action against them.